I would suggest you read some on line reviews of those stores and come up with your own opinion. However, words like "grey market" come to mind. Also, beware of an awesome deal on the camera body but then discover that you pay through the nose for the battery, neck strap, etc. Buyer beware, as they say.

Has anyone ever dealt with 42nd St Photography. They have a really good price on a D4s. Or better yet, should I go to a reputable dealer like B&H Photo to buy at a higher price

-- hide signature --

Bill Romer

Be careful. I have never done business with this company, and there is a reason: There are horror stories on the internet, about what customers get and what they pay for beyond the cost of the camera. There are other dealers that will cost you more for a product, but you will get what was sold to you.

Has anyone ever dealt with 42nd St Photography. They have a really good price on a D4s. Or better yet, should I go to a reputable dealer like B&H Photo to buy at a higher price

-- hide signature --

Bill Romer

You may find that the cheap becomes expensive if you deal with 42nd Street Photo. I'd advise you to stick with B&H. They're the best retailer in the business and will stand behind what they sell, even if it costs them. Besides, B&H prices are generally competitive and often better than other sources.

Has anyone ever dealt with 42nd St Photography. They have a really good price on a D4s. Or better yet, should I go to a reputable dealer like B&H Photo to buy at a higher price

-- hide signature --

Bill Romer

Be careful. I have never done business with this company, and there is a reason: There are horror stories on the internet, about what customers get and what they pay for beyond the cost of the camera. There are other dealers that will cost you more for a product, but you will get what was sold to you.

The site rates 42nd street very highly, but on closer inspection of the reviews, I found a very interesting trend. The company has 154 five star reviews, and only 16 one star reviews. But a number of the five star reviews, were upgraded, from one , two, or three stars, after the management at 42nd st saw the one star review and offered to solve the problem, if the reviewer would change the review. Decide for yourself, but a number of reviews on that site confirmed my opinion, that 42nd St Photo is a bait and switch outfit, selling gray market and pushing unnecessary accessories.

I have not done business with "42nd Street Photo" because I've been just fine with great service and reasonably-priced equipment from Adorama and B&H. I think "42nd Street" is playing on the name of the former grey-market megastore 47th Street Photo, which was busted by the Feds for illegal importing and then went out of business.

I bought a "white box" SONY lens from them and it was a perfect experience. Nobody tried to sell me stuff I didn't want, the lens arrived quickly, was well packed and in perfect condition. I would not hesitate to buy from them again.

The problem with all these review sites is that the reviewers can manipulated. That seems to be what 42nd street photo does, when it receives a bad review. It contacts the reviewer and offers to solve the problem, if the review is changed. So lesson learned: have a bad experience with 42nd St, review them badly, and you'll get what you want, or what was promised to you, to begin with. Don't and you can whistle in the wind. The reseller ratings site does not note a change in a rating, whereas other sites do (see my second post). However there is at least one review on the resellers site that tells the same story. He was badly treated, wrote a bad review, was contacted by 42nd St, got what he was promised to begin with, changed the rating. But at the end of his review, he said he would not buy from them again, even though the item he was looking for was $300 less at 42nd St. Interesting...

The problem with all these review sites is that the reviewers can manipulated. That seems to be what 42nd street photo does, when it receives a bad review. It contacts the reviewer and offers to solve the problem, if the review is changed. So lesson learned: have a bad experience with 42nd St, review them badly, and you'll get what you want, or what was promised to you, to begin with. Don't and you can whistle in the wind. The reseller ratings site does not note a change in a rating, whereas other sites do (see my second post). However there is at least one review on the resellers site that tells the same story. He was badly treated, wrote a bad review, was contacted by 42nd St, got what he was promised to begin with, changed the rating. But at the end of his review, he said he would not buy from them again, even though the item he was looking for was $300 less at 42nd St. Interesting...

That may occur but it's better than just purchasing blindly. Who else could we rely on (but humans) for store / product reviews?

I have not done business with "42nd Street Photo" because I've been just fine with great service and reasonably-priced equipment from Adorama and B&H. I think "42nd Street" is playing on the name of the former grey-market megastore 47th Street Photo, which was busted by the Feds for illegal importing and then went out of business.

I only contacted them once a few years ago - over a Nikkor 105 (the old one). My experience then was enough to tell me not to do business with them. I do most of my photo purchases now with B&H, sometimes Adorama and - of course - Amazon. However, I really try to stick with B&H for expensive bodies and glass.

I don't get it. Nikon's 24-70 f/2.8 does not have VR. Does 42nd street claim it does? Could you post a link to the advertisement? I am not trying to defend the store against reason and I have bought photo equipment from B&H (very happy with B&H) and Adorama (not really happy), but I did buy from 42nd Street and had a 100% positive experience. I notice that most if not all of the folks badmouthing them here have not purchased from them. So what gives?

I don't get it. Nikon's 24-70 f/2.8 does not have VR. Does 42nd street claim it does? Could you post a link to the advertisement? I am not trying to defend the store against reason and I have bought photo equipment from B&H (very happy with B&H) and Adorama (not really happy), but I did buy from 42nd Street and had a 100% positive experience. I notice that most if not all of the folks badmouthing them here have not purchased from them. So what gives?

Interesting point, about many of us not purchasing from 42nd ST Photo. The site, photo.net had a shop review section some years ago, that was more comprehensive than it is today. Among the shops, that were badly reviewed on a consistent basis; 42nd St Photo. So I never purchased from them. I had been warned. When the OP posted his question, I felt it necessary to inform him/her of my knowledge of 42nd St's reputation, but told him that I had not purchased from them.

I decided that an old reputation could change after all these years, and so I did a little research on how 42nd st photo is currently viewed. Intially, the reviews I found were mixed on photo.net, so I went further and looked at a site called consumer affairs.com (looks like a private site). The majority of reviews on that site gave 42nd St 5 out 5 stars. But I noticed something very curious: that some reviews were edited or updated, and the rating was improved. 42nd St had contacted these reviewers and promised make good on a customers order... if the reviewer would change the review. Several upgraded reviews mention this enticement, or bribe.

So in my mind, the shoddy, dishonest way 42nd street photo has not changed. It has only gotten more sophisticated in its dishonesty. I don't know what to make of your experience, or the experience of many others, who say that 42nd St is ok. I know, however, that I would not buy from them, because I 've seen enough reviews, to confirm that in many cases, they are dishonest. I felt the OP needed to know that.

I don't get it. Nikon's 24-70 f/2.8 does not have VR. Does 42nd street claim it does? Could you post a link to the advertisement? I am not trying to defend the store against reason and I have bought photo equipment from B&H (very happy with B&H) and Adorama (not really happy), but I did buy from 42nd Street and had a 100% positive experience. I notice that most if not all of the folks badmouthing them here have not purchased from them. So what gives?

Interesting point, about many of us not purchasing from 42nd ST Photo. The site, photo.net had a shop review section some years ago, that was more comprehensive than it is today. Among the shops, that were badly reviewed on a consistent basis; 42nd St Photo. So I never purchased from them. I had been warned. When the OP posted his question, I felt it necessary to inform him/her of my knowledge of 42nd St's reputation, but told him that I had not purchased from them.

I decided that an old reputation could change after all these years, and so I did a little research on how 42nd st photo is currently viewed. Intially, the reviews I found were mixed on photo.net, so I went further and looked at a site called consumer affairs.com (looks like a private site). The majority of reviews on that site gave 42nd St 5 out 5 stars. But I noticed something very curious: that some reviews were edited or updated, and the rating was improved. 42nd St had contacted these reviewers and promised make good on a customers order... if the reviewer would change the review. Several upgraded reviews mention this enticement, or bribe.

So in my mind, the shoddy, dishonest way 42nd street photo has not changed. It has only gotten more sophisticated in its dishonesty. I don't know what to make of your experience, or the experience of many others, who say that 42nd St is ok. I know, however, that I would not buy from them, because I 've seen enough reviews, to confirm that in many cases, they are dishonest. I felt the OP needed to know that.

,

Hi Rich,

Fair enough. You have a good point, which is well taken.

I should point put, however, that I was not addressing you specifically, but rather I was responding to Roland who is attacking the store for something that he himself may be mistaken about. It is quite possible that 42nd street photo has been and maybe still is, at least on occasion, less than ethical in its sales practices; nevertheless, I, in my personal experience, as an actual customer, did not experience this. Maybe that is because I was extra careful (I contacted them beforehand, asking all kinds of specific questions, etc.), maybe the sales guy with whom I was dealing (Jonathan by name) was especially well trained or something, but I got exactly what I wanted for exactly the price advertised without any attempt to up-sell me anything.

I did not leave a review on any of the sites you mentioned, but it would have been a positive one without the need to correct it later. And, just in case anyone wonders: I am not affiliated with 42nd street and I am not paid by them. Maybe I got lucky, but I would buy from them again (even though I'd still be careful, while I buy from B&H without thinking twice about pretty much anything).

By the way: Over the past 10 to 15 years, I have bought camera equipment from local camera stores, Adorama, B&H, Amazon and from 42nd street as well as many used items through KEH, ebay and Fred Miranda. The only less than good experience was with ebay (my own fault for not checking carefully enough) and with Adorama (and that wasn't very bad either; just an annoyingly poorly informed sales guy on the phone and way too slow shipping).

I don't get it. Nikon's 24-70 f/2.8 does not have VR. Does 42nd street claim it does? Could you post a link to the advertisement? I am not trying to defend the store against reason and I have bought photo equipment from B&H (very happy with B&H) and Adorama (not really happy), but I did buy from 42nd Street and had a 100% positive experience. I notice that most if not all of the folks badmouthing them here have not purchased from them. So what gives?

Interesting point, about many of us not purchasing from 42nd ST Photo. The site, photo.net had a shop review section some years ago, that was more comprehensive than it is today. Among the shops, that were badly reviewed on a consistent basis; 42nd St Photo. So I never purchased from them. I had been warned. When the OP posted his question, I felt it necessary to inform him/her of my knowledge of 42nd St's reputation, but told him that I had not purchased from them.

I decided that an old reputation could change after all these years, and so I did a little research on how 42nd st photo is currently viewed. Intially, the reviews I found were mixed on photo.net, so I went further and looked at a site called consumer affairs.com (looks like a private site). The majority of reviews on that site gave 42nd St 5 out 5 stars. But I noticed something very curious: that some reviews were edited or updated, and the rating was improved. 42nd St had contacted these reviewers and promised make good on a customers order... if the reviewer would change the review. Several upgraded reviews mention this enticement, or bribe.

So in my mind, the shoddy, dishonest way 42nd street photo has not changed. It has only gotten more sophisticated in its dishonesty. I don't know what to make of your experience, or the experience of many others, who say that 42nd St is ok. I know, however, that I would not buy from them, because I 've seen enough reviews, to confirm that in many cases, they are dishonest. I felt the OP needed to know that.

,

Hi Rich,

Fair enough. You have a good point, which is well taken.

I should point put, however, that I was not addressing you specifically, but rather I was responding to Roland who is attacking the store for something that he himself may be mistaken about. It is quite possible that 42nd street photo has been and maybe still is, at least on occasion, less than ethical in its sales practices;

Peter, 4 hours ago you ask me to post a link, then only 3 hours later you change your tune to "Roland who is attacking the store.... may be mistaken" give me a moment to respond, please have a little patience.

The advertisement is a popup, so it might change at any time, and I can't honestly be bothered to take screen shots, upload them, and post just to prove my point.

However, I just checked 60 seconds ago at www.nikonrumors.com if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you'll see it quite clearly. Advertised as $1549 Nikon 24-70mm VR, which then takes you to their website with a totally standard Nikon 24-70 without VR.

I don't get it. Nikon's 24-70 f/2.8 does not have VR. Does 42nd street claim it does? Could you post a link to the advertisement? I am not trying to defend the store against reason and I have bought photo equipment from B&H (very happy with B&H) and Adorama (not really happy), but I did buy from 42nd Street and had a 100% positive experience. I notice that most if not all of the folks badmouthing them here have not purchased from them. So what gives?

Interesting point, about many of us not purchasing from 42nd ST Photo. The site, photo.net had a shop review section some years ago, that was more comprehensive than it is today. Among the shops, that were badly reviewed on a consistent basis; 42nd St Photo. So I never purchased from them. I had been warned. When the OP posted his question, I felt it necessary to inform him/her of my knowledge of 42nd St's reputation, but told him that I had not purchased from them.

I decided that an old reputation could change after all these years, and so I did a little research on how 42nd st photo is currently viewed. Intially, the reviews I found were mixed on photo.net, so I went further and looked at a site called consumer affairs.com (looks like a private site). The majority of reviews on that site gave 42nd St 5 out 5 stars. But I noticed something very curious: that some reviews were edited or updated, and the rating was improved. 42nd St had contacted these reviewers and promised make good on a customers order... if the reviewer would change the review. Several upgraded reviews mention this enticement, or bribe.

So in my mind, the shoddy, dishonest way 42nd street photo has not changed. It has only gotten more sophisticated in its dishonesty. I don't know what to make of your experience, or the experience of many others, who say that 42nd St is ok. I know, however, that I would not buy from them, because I 've seen enough reviews, to confirm that in many cases, they are dishonest. I felt the OP needed to know that.

,

Hi Rich,

Fair enough. You have a good point, which is well taken.

I should point put, however, that I was not addressing you specifically, but rather I was responding to Roland who is attacking the store for something that he himself may be mistaken about. It is quite possible that 42nd street photo has been and maybe still is, at least on occasion, less than ethical in its sales practices;

Peter, 4 hours ago you ask me to post a link, then only 3 hours later you change your tune to "Roland who is attacking the store.... may be mistaken" give me a moment to respond, please have a little patience.

The advertisement is a popup, so it might change at any time, and I can't honestly be bothered to take screen shots, upload them, and post just to prove my point.

However, I just checked 60 seconds ago at www.nikonrumors.com if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you'll see it quite clearly. Advertised as $1549 Nikon 24-70mm VR, which then takes you to their website with a totally standard Nikon 24-70 without VR.

I am not changing my tune (or anything else for that matter). I am just pointing out that there is no 24-70 mm VR lens so why would anyone advertise one. In general, if anyone is accusing somebody of anything (like false advertising), I consider the credibility of that person to be much higher if some documentation corroborating such accusation is accompanying the claim. Whether you can be bothered or not is irrelevant. In this context: who in their right minds believes in or clicks on pop-up ads?

I am not changing my tune (or anything else for that matter). I am just pointing out that there is no 24-70 mm VR lens so why would anyone advertise one.

I would assume it's to lure some in to their site and then to switch after baiting them, that's called bait and switch - which is why I tried to point out the advertisement to you.

In general, if anyone is accusing somebody of anything (like false advertising), I consider the credibility of that person to be much higher if some documentation corroborating such accusation is accompanying the claim.

So I presume you looked at www.nikonrumors.com and have confirmed what I'm saying.

Whether you can be bothered or not is irrelevant. In this context: who in their right minds believes in or clicks on pop-up ads?

Its entirely relevant, why don't you look at the website yourself? I provided a URL and indicated where on the page you'll find the ad (the bottom of the page). My goodness, what else do you expect from a stranger to whom you're being rude?